Beethoven’s Ode To Joy has topped ABC Classic’s 2024 Classic 100: Feel Good. Every year for over two decades, ABC Classic has asked music lovers to nominate their favourite pieces in a particular category and then spend a whole weekend counting down the results.
Gustav Hoslt’s The Planets, Op. 32 and Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers secured second and third place, respectively, but it was Beethoven’s enduring masterpiece that ultimately won the hearts and minds of music enthusiasts across the country.
It’s a history-making win with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor – famous for its finale Ode To Joy – topping the Classic 100 countdown for a fourth time, an extraordinary feat for a symphony that premiered 200 years ago. Head to the ABC Classic website for an in-depth look at the work that claimed this year’s top spot.
Across the weekend, ABC Classic has counted down Australia’s top 100 feel-good pieces, culminating in the ultimate feel-good playlist, which music lovers nationwide can all celebrate. There were over 120,000 votes for 899 different works, 9 pieces that appeared in a Classic 100 for the very first time, and 14 Australian composers that made the top 100.
The Classic 100 celebrations are far from over! For the second year, this year’s Classic 100 will come to life in a special performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to showcase the best of this year’s countdown.
Hosted by ABC’s Megan Burslem and Jeremy Fernandez and conducted by Principal Conductor in Residence Benjamin Northey, the Classic 100 in Concert premieres Saturday 29 June 2024 at 7:30pm, on ABC TV, live streamed on ABC iview and simulcast on ABC Classic.
For more information about Classic 100: Feel-Good countdown, visit: www.abc.net.au for details.
Image: ABC Classic 100: Feel Good (supplied)